October 28, 2015

Port of Paranagua Inaugurates Third of Four New Shiploaders

Author: Michael Cordonnier/Soybean & Corn Advisor, Inc.

Officials at the Port of Paranagua in southern Brazil inaugurated this week the third of four new shiploaders at the Export Corridor. The four new shiploaders are part of a R$ 59 million investment to upgrade the loading capacity at the port. The first two shiploaders started operations in March and the new equipment will replaced shiploaders that were installed in the 1970's. The Export Corridor has three berths with two shiploaders for each berth.

These new shiploaders not only have a higher capacity, they also are capable of loading bigger vessels. Each new loader has a capacity of 2,000 tons per hour compared to the 1,500 per hour for the ones being replaced.

In addition to increasing the loading capacity, the new shiploaders will be able to accommodate larger vessels. Each new shiploader sits higher and can extend out 36 meters, or 10 meters more than the ones being replaced. These new shiploaders also have a dust capturing system that reduces the amount of particulates going into the air during loading operations. Each shiploader comes with its own generator which will allow it to be moved if the electrical supply is disrupted.

The port has also greatly improved the delivery of grain to the port. In years past, the port was famous for very long lines of trucks backed up for miles waiting to enter the port. Those long lines have now disappeared. A computerized scheduling system now calls trucks to the port only when the grain is needed, and new and more efficient dump pits reduce the time it takes to empty the trucks.

The port has made these investments not only to increase its efficiency and to reduce costs, but they have also done so in order to not lose market share to new ports opening up across northern Brazil.